Danny, are you okay?
by balletismyobsession
Summary: Inspired by Smooth Criminal. Sort of back-story for Sebastian.


**Inspired by the Michael episode performance of Smooth Criminal. I loved that version and just had an idea to write this. There are references to Smooth Criminal within this and it started out as just 'Sebastian in Smooth Criminal-verse' kind of and then I thought I could take it deeper and it ended up being kind of a back story before Sebastian went to Dalton. **

**Anyway, hope you like it. As much as I hate Sebastian, after I wrote this I felt more sympathetic to him. **

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><p>Sebastian had seen the silver car pull up in the driveway two hours ago. He knew this because when Danny had locked the doors with the beeping echo calling back, Danny had waved at him. Sebastian had smiled and given a little wave back from where he sat by the window, with a bowl of cereal and homework on the table in front of him. He'd dug out his cell phone and set it near his elbow, so there was no way he could miss the blinking light and vibrating hum that meant Danny had texted him.<p>

They had a system. It started out when they were young, during their 'walkie talkie' phase when they pretended to be undercover cops on the hunt for a criminal. But as they'd grown, it had evolved into using their cell phones to get each other's attention as to if the coast was clear. It had started out as boys being friends, but as they'd grown, it had evolved into more. Sebastian remembered very clearly the day he had been sitting cross-legged in Danny's tree house, a plate of untouched cookies and their worn walkie talkies sitting forgotten in the corner. He'd been terrified and shaking all over with hot tears stinging his eyes and he remembered just letting everything out. He hadn't told anyone, but he'd been trying to hide it for so long and then he thought he just might snap. And he'd told his best friend that he liked boys in the way he was supposed to like girls. Danny had looked worried, then surprised, then utterly relieved. When Danny had pulled him into a hug and told him that he'd been feeling the exact same thing, Sebastian thought at first that he was just trying to be sympathetic. But it became very clear that they both had the same feelings.

At first, they'd gone on with their life as usual, not telling anyone about their newfound secrets, still using their cell phones as a signal for when it was okay to come over. They'd sit up in the tree house and talk for hours and tell themselves that they were going to tell their parents tomorrow.

They never did.

And they knew they wouldn't. _Tomorrow, _they'd say for years on end_. Tomorrow, we'll tell them. Together. _Yet, they knew even as they looked into each other's eyes and said the sentences, they knew it was a lie. There had been more news stories run about homosexuals lately and though Sebastian's parents only gave the stories a glance, Danny's father in particular made sure to voice his opinion on the matter. And it was never good.

When Sebastian came out to his parents at sixteen, just a month shy of seventeen, he'd been met with a hesitant demeanor, but his parents would soon come to accept him. He'd tried to get Danny to tell his parents too, that things could be the way that they wanted it to, but he'd always refused, said that he wasn't brave enough yet, that he wasn't ready.

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><p>Danny had texted Sebastian one night and told him to meet him. He did and when he'd climbed up in the tree house that now seemed a lot smaller than it used to, he'd seen Danny curled up and shaking and crying. He'd just held him in a tight hug while Danny told him in trembling, hitching breaths that he couldn't take it anymore and he knew that his father was going to hate him forever but he just couldn't live the lie. That was the first night that they'd kissed. Sebastian had meant to just hold him to let him know he wasn't alone but then Danny's arms tightened around Sebastian's back and he'd had his face buried in his shoulder. Sebastian had turned his head to find Danny's face tilted up and looking into his eyes. And Sebastian had just kissed him. It seemed <em>right. <em>He knew in his heart that it was the right thing to do. And it had felt good.

They knew after that night that they didn't have to be alone.

But when Danny's father had found out that his son's best friend turned out to be the 'fag across the street,' he'd refused to let them see each other. But they still did, when they'd sneak out at night and hold each other and Sebastian would try to convince Danny that things would be okay in the morning, that they only had another year until they'd both be eighteen and they wouldn't have to live in fear anymore and they could be together. And some nights they would kiss each other or hesitantly touch each other in the way that they weren't supposed to. Sebastian still didn't understand why Danny's father held so much hatred towards anyone who was gay. He didn't understand how anyone could think that this was wrong when it felt so right.

They'd been doing this for months. They were always so careful never to get caught. And they never did. The first time they'd had sex, it had felt amazing. The tree house certainly wasn't an ideal place, being small and cramped and certainly rickety with years of being worn by the weather, but they were together and it just felt like they were _supposed_ to be together.

During the day at school, they went about like they were just normal best friends. At home, they pretended the other didn't exist. But in the tree house, in their own little world, they could be together.

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><p>Two hours had passed since Sebastian had seen Danny's small wave from his window. Danny's father usually didn't get home from work until a few hours after they both got back from school. Danny had had to stay after for some tutoring. He'd expected a text or a call or something since he'd been back, but none came.<p>

Neither boy knew that Danny's father had gotten home early and parked in the garage. Sebastian was worried about his friend, his boyfriend, because lately he'd been withdrawn and not wanting to talk about anything, not even in the tree house late at night, where they had a safe place to just be. Sebastian didn't know how bad it really was. He didn't know that Danny was beginning to fray, crack along the edges, and that when he saw his father in the kitchen, he'd told him they had to talk.

Two hours had passed since he'd seen the wave and his bowl of cereal sat empty and his homework sat untouched and his phone was filled with outboxed messages, none of which had been replied to. Sebastian was staring out the kitchen window, eyes scanning what he could see of the house, hoping for Danny to make an appearance or something. But there was nothing.

He'd almost fell out of his chair when his eyes flicked over to the opening garage. He recognized Danny's father's car as it pulled out of the driveway and took off down the street. For two long beats of his heart, Sebastian hadn't moved. And then he'd bolted, grabbing his cell phone and flinging open the door as he flew out and ran across the street.

He knocked on the door. Three raps, just like when he was younger and Danny's mom would open the door and invite him in and hand him a freshly baked cookie before sending him along to Danny's room. She worked the day shift at the hospital now and was hardly ever home until dinner at the earliest. Danny was the only person home and he wasn't answering. He knocked again. And again. He called his cell phone. No answer.

Breathing out a frustrated sigh, Sebastian ran his hand through his hair and jogged over to the side of the house, where Danny's room was. The blinds were pulled up, letting the sun stream through the window. Sebastian stepped over the flowerbeds under his window and pressed his hands against the glass as he looked in.

His heart jumped in his throat. "Holy shit," he breathed, his body starting to go into panic mode. He banged on the glass and got no response of the boy lying on his back on his bedroom floor, his head turned to the side with eyes closed and a halo of blood around his head. He bolted to the front door, finding the knob locked and kicked over the welcome mat, finding the key gone. Blinking away the tears pricking his eyes, he tried the back door and found that it too was locked. He ran back up to the window, looking around wildly and bent to pick up a rock amongst the flowerbeds. Feeling the smooth, heavy weight in his hand, he covered his eyes with his other arm and rammed the rock into the window pane, feeling the splintering and hearing the crack of glass. He knocked out the rest of the glass to form a hole he could get his arm through and turned the lock on the window, forcing it open and pulling himself up inside.

He hit the ground with a thud and crawled over to Danny, screaming his name and pushing aside the bedside table that had been overturned. He was shaking so hard, his breath trembling and the tears filled his eyes once more. He didn't want to touch him. He was terrified to.

"Danny?" he whispered, finding it hard now to raise his voice despite the adrenaline rushing though his body. "Danny, are you okay?" He brought his mouth close to Danny's ear, hoping he could hear him. Getting no response, he squeezed his shoulder. "Are you okay, Danny?"

He knew he wasn't. He didn't know why he was asking, but god, it seemed to be the only thing he could get to come out of his mouth. _Don't leave me. Don't die. Please be okay. Please don't be hurt. _

"Danny?" he cried and then the boy began to move.

A groan escaped Danny's pale lips as his eyelids slowly fluttered open. His eyes were unfocused and he though he blinked, Sebastian wasn't sure Danny knew it was him.

"Danny, tell me you're okay. _Please_." Sebastian begged, horrified at the broken tone of his words. Danny sighed deeply, wincing in pain, and carefully moved his head. Sebastian sucked in a breath at the blood that was soaking into the carpet, the blood that was matting Danny's hair, the blood that covered the right side of his face from a wound on the side of his head. Sebastian's hands were shaking as he tore his gaze from the blood-oh god, so much blood-and spotted one of Danny's t-shirts on the floor. He leaned over and grabbed it, pressing it to the bleeding wound. The contact made Danny moan and he tensed in pain. Sebastian felt him shove his hand away and he weakly began to dig his hands into the carpet as he tried to roll onto his side. Sebastian gently helped until he was on his side and then Danny threw up, his body shaking.

Sebastian paled and when Danny collapsed into a boneless heap on the floor, he grabbed at Danny's torso and pulled him away from the vomit and the bloodstain, wiping his face with his own sweater and pulling him up into his arms as he laid limply with his eyes closed. He pressed Danny's shirt to the side of his head again. The boy moaned and tears began to spill over his closed eyelids.

Sebastian's shaking hand pulled out his cell phone. He felt like he wasn't in his own body. This wasn't happening. It _couldn't _be happening. He was unaware of what exactly he told the 911 operator, but they were on their way and Danny could get help and that was what mattered.

"Danny," Sebastian whimpered, his phone now lying on the floor, "Danny, you're going to be okay."

He moaned again and Sebastian held him tighter, the tears streaking down his cheeks. Then he realized that Danny was trying to speak and brought his head down closer. He only heard broken fragments but it was enough.

"Tried… tell… didn't want… dad… ran… sorry…"

"No, no, don't be sorry. Don't be sorry. You told him and I'm so proud of you. You were so brave. You wanted to tell him and you did. He won't ever hurt you again. I promise. He won't hurt you again." Sebastian didn't know what he was saying. The words just kept tumbling off his lips and he just wanted Danny not to slip into unconsciousness. "We're going to get out of here. We'll be together and we'll do everything we talked about. We'll go to college and have our own apartment and no one will ever tell us what we can't do. We're going to be okay."

Danny's chest began to heave with stuttering breaths and Sebastian though he saw a smile form on his lips. Sebastian stroked Danny's cheek as Danny began shaking. He could feel his throat close up and the adrenaline that pumped though him now. _No, no, no. Don't leave me._ He clutched Danny tighter to him and felt momentary relief as he heard the ambulance sirens. He remembered telling them the doors were locked but he couldn't leave Danny. He knew they'd break down the door or something. The banging of his heart flew against his chest as he listened to Danny's rattling breaths.

They were here. It was going to be okay.

* * *

><p>"Honey, I know it's been hard, but… I want you to know that we just want what's best for you."<p>

Sebastian turned his eyes up to face his mother. His father had his arm around her and they were both looking at him with the utmost concern in their eyes. Sebastian knew his eyes held nothing but dark anger. It had been months, but he could still feel the weight of Danny's body in his arms, see the soft smile that curved his lips. He could still hear the broken scream that came from his mouth when he'd been told.

"And what do you think is best for me exactly?" He growled in a low voice.

"Well, we… we just…"

His father squeezed his mother's shoulder and took over. "We think it would be better if you went to another school. This has been really difficult on you and no one blames you for feeling what you do. But maybe being away from… from the memories, might help you."

"The memories are never going to go away. No matter where I am."

His mom's face crumpled and he almost felt bad. "Just think about it, honey. Please?"

He sighed and looked into her eyes, seeing the desperation there. "Okay," he whispered.

* * *

><p>There was a large, important looking folder on his desk after he'd left the dinner table. Seeing as he had nothing else to do besides lay in bed, he supposed just looking wouldn't hurt. He sat himself at his desk and ran a finger along the glossy navy cover with the emblem of a red, intricate letter D in the center. The words 'Dalton Academy for Boys' shined across the top. He stared at it for a long time, then flipped the folder open and began to thumb through all the papers with generic information, a campus map, uniform requirements, dorm listings, and what he would get out of being at Dalton.<p>

He still had most of his senior year left. Kids at school now avoided him and he felt more alone than ever. He didn't have any friends. Not anymore.

He realized he'd been staring down at the cover of the folder for an hour before he realized that he was beginning to consider it. He could start fresh, start new. No one had to know what happened. He didn't have to be the guy who everyone pitied. People listened to those who had a strong voice. He could become a leader, the person who everyone wanted to be, who they followed willingly. He could be strong. He didn't have to be meek and afraid anymore. He could be whoever he wanted.

Maybe this would be a good thing. Danny's father had been convicted of voluntary manslaughter and was in jail. His wife had divorced him and sold the house as soon as she could, moving far away from the pain of this town.

Maybe it would be good to start new. Where no one knew him or his past.

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><p>Standing in the freshly pressed uniform, he looked up onto the grand entrance, with the brick and the ivy and the wrought-iron gate. He stepped up to the intimidating front door and took a breath. He stood up taller. He could be anything he wanted here. Within these walls, he could forget.<p>

When the man dressed in a suit and tie opened the door, Sebastian placed a smirk on his face.

"Ah, Mr. Smythe. Welcome to Dalton Academy."


End file.
